Who Are You?
by saphire butterfly
Summary: There was a time when Snape loved with all of his being, only to have it ripped from him. Now, alone in the world, he strives to protect the only being he ever truly loved. A girl who can't remember him. A girl that believes he hates her.
1. Prologue

We begin this story in a castle hidden far from muggles, deep within the mountains of England, land uncharted by the non magical folk of the land. In this castle, a village just a short walk away inhabited by the same type of people, lived magical folk. They called themselves wizards and witches. Of course, these people resembled nothing like the witches and wizards of muggle tales. They weren't green, didn't have boils, didn't cackle ominously and eat small children - in most cases - and didn't run about in extravagant robes and grow long beards. Though, thinking about the Headmaster of the castle, that wasn't entirely true. Otherwise, witches and wizards like you and I.

No, the only difference was they were able to perform extraordinary things without the use of our technology. They could make objects float, they could clean things with a flick of a stick, they could summon objects to them, they could transport through fireplaces, they could enchant paintings to be alive, etc…

But let us diverge from the magical race as a whole and focus on this castle which, by the way, is known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Within, their lived a select few whom chose to remain here year round, perhaps leaving only to visit family or their homes they wished not to stay in. One of these individuals went by the name of Severus Snape.

He was a dark and unpleasant fellow. He took pleasure in torturing his students(though he had only been a teacher for one year, most of his students children he himself had gone to school with); he was the potions professor at this fine institute. His midnight hair fell in limp strands a little past his shoulders and his dark eyes, undeniably black, would peer out from those greasy locks. His sharp, large, pale nose poked out to stand prominently in attention. Through the dark curtain, one was always sure to see his customary sneer or scowl of disdain.

It was on the summer of 1980, right before school was starting and right after the Potter child was born, that he decided a visit to his childhood home was in order. He left his quarters in the castle with nothing and Apparated right outside of the castle gates to an alley near his home. He had set up wards around his home so that none could enter by Apparation.

Walking down the street, he tugged uncomfortably at the sleeves of his stark white button up shirt. He had taken off his cloaks before leaving so as to blend in. Unfortunately, it had never been comfortable for him to dress as a muggle and it had been so very long since he had forced himself to do so. His eyes shifted uneasily around the street. He walked quicker down the dark, dingy street until his sad shack of a home came in view, cramped between two equally disgusting homes.

Let me take a moment, reader, to tell you of Sir Snape's home. He lived at the end of Spinners End, a once illustrious place with many families. But, as all things do, London's center of business shifted away and the area began to fall to ruins. The place was dark and frightening, a most dangerous place with suspicious characters at every turn. Most of the houses were left abandoned, a figurative time bomb waiting to let the rotten houses fall in a heap to the ground.

Yet again I diverge. Snape, by now, had nearly reached his door when his foot stubbed softly onto something. Quickly, the man stopped and looked down to his feet, nothing but air in front of them. He frowned, his forehead scrunching before he pulled an ebony stick - a wand - from his endless pockets and waved it about with murmured words even I could not pick up. Moments later and a basket appeared, a covered ball of something slowly rising and lowering steadily.

Snape had blinked down to the thing for a few moments before, with a quick glance around him, opened the door and levitated the basket into his dilapidated home. He set the basket down gently on a table and sat beside it on a hard wooden chair. It was at this time that he discovered the crisp role of parchment tucked neatly inside the basket by the bundle. Carefully, he extracted it and rolled it open.

_Dear Severus Snape,_

_By now you have discovered the child I have left at your home. It is my child, you are the father. After our drunken fling, I discovered I was pregnant. It took me quite a time to discover that you were the father (I had to wait until the child was born). It took me even longer to find you. The child was born last year, September 19, 1979. It is a girl, in case you are too incompetent enough to discover that yourself. I have not named the child, that is up to you. I don't want the child, I never have, never did, and never will. Don't come looking for me to take it back. What you do with her is up to you. Please, I ask of you, do not come looking for me._

_Goodbye._

Snape stared at the letter, if one could call it that, for a long time before he remembered to breath. Hastily, he reached over and pulled the blanket back to reveal a small figure with blue eyes beginning to change to brown, staring up at him. Calmly, the babe continued to breath, watching with wide eyes as Snape sat back heavily against his chair. He stared at the child for a long time before he stood quickly, startling the baby. He glanced down and, after pocketing his wand and the short missive, plucked the baby up with her blankets. He adjusted the child until it rested in the crook of his arm and he swiftly left his home to return to the alley so that he could speak with the Headmaster of Hogwarts: Albus Dumbledore.

This, dear readers, is where I leave you so that you may plunge alone into this tale of love and lost, betrayal and trust, past and present, and right and wrong.

-^.^-

**A/N: Alright, this is my jump back into writing. I know I took a really long time off, but I'm getting back into the hang of it. I will start updating my other stories once I shed my rust. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this story, I know it's not that great.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR IT'S CHARACTERS.**


	2. Hermione

He burst into the room, uncaring of the babbling, handsome man seated before the large oak desk of one Albus Dumbledore. Both turned to look at him, one with sparkling blue eyes and the other with angry brown eyes. The messy haired brown eyed man stood.

"What do you want, Snape?" He nearly growled. The two men had never become friends, they never tried, though at one point the brown eyed man had thought to. But it was not to be. Snape snarled quite impressively for a human before hissing out his reply.

"None of your business, _Potter_. I have more important things than you." He turned from the man known as Potter to the old, smiling man behind the desk. "I have rather urgent news, Headmaster. It seems-" Potter cut him off.

"Oh hush, you old bat. I came here _with an appointment_ to tell him how my newborn son is doing. The only thing more important than that is if you had a kid of your own. Ha! As if." Snape growled. _Arrogant prick_ he thought to himself though a pang went through his chest at the knowledge that his first love and only friend had given birth to the spawn of his greatest enemy.

"James, no need for hostility. That goes for you too, Severus." Snape choose to ignore hima nd turned back to Potter.

"Funny, Potter, that you happen to mention children. It seems as if I have now acquired one." It took the other two men in the room to comprehend this before James began spluttering. Albus's jaw hung open slightly before he shook himself out of the shock and stood, walking to Snape.

"Severus, this is no joking matter. What do you mean you have a child?" Snape rolled his eyes and shifted the still bundle in his arms, which had remained unnoticed thus far.

"Exactly as it sounds, Albus. I had a fling back during my last winter break and the night produced the child. I don't know the mother and she wishes to have no contact with me or the child. She has given me the child and doesn't care what I do with it." At the two men's look of disbelief, he rolled his eyes and handed the letter to Albus. Freeing his hand once more, he moved it to the bundle in his arms and pulled back the corner to reveal a wide face with large eyes. The babe looked about the new room with men she had never seen before. She whimpered slightly and snuggled into her father's chest, chubby fingers gripping tightly onto his black shirt.

Snape stood there stiffly and uncomfortably as the two men stared. Potter looked from child to father repeatedly, apparently unable to comprehend how his nemesis had procreated before him. Albus smiled in delight and cooed for a few moments to the still somewhat frightened child. Snape cleared his throat. When Albus looked up, he opened his mouth to speak before Potter cut him off.

"Is it a boy or girl? You keep calling it it. And what's it's name?" Snape glared but decided civility would be appropriate in this instance as Potter had, for once, been logical.

"The child is a girl, she will be turning one on September 19. Her mother never named her, she left that to me." Potter opened his mouth a few times.

"The kid is almost one and was never named? What the hell kind of people do you sleep with, Snape?" Snape grimaced. _The rude and uncaring type_ he thought, but deemed Potter's question unworthy of answer.

"What will you name her, Severus?" Snape stiffened at the soft voice of Albus.

"I don't believe I will be naming her, Professor. I can not care for a child, so I shall find someone to take her and let them have the joy of naming her." Albus frowned and James looked at Snape with a shocked expression.

"Severus, she's your daughter." Severus quickly cut the kind old man off.

"I understand this, Professor." Albus frowned once more. Severus only referred to him as professor when he was nervous and unsure. Suddenly, Albus smiled and placed his hand on the younger mans broad shoulder.

"Wait here with James while I retrieve Poppy. Perhaps you'll think of a name while I'm gone." He turned and quickly left his office, leaving the two enemies and a small baby alone. The two stared at each other for a long moment, slightly aware that a fireplace was by them and the Headmaster could have easily flooed the mediwitch to his office. A short, soft bawl made both the men snap their heads down to stare at the baby still wrapped up in Severus's arms.

Her eyes began to water and, once again, she gave another bawl. Severus's eyes tightened and his lips pressed solidly on one another as he tried to think of something to do. So concentrated in this, he was startled when the hand of James Potter came into vision and plucked the girl, his daughter, from his own arms. Though he vehemently denied to himself that he was not attached to the child, his heart thudded heavily now that he was parted from the small creature.

Severus was surprised, then, when he was handed the child. James positioned the child upright, her head above his shoulder, facing behind Severus. Automatically, the dark mans arms came up to hold the child, albeit a little clumsily. James nodded and grabbed his enemies wrist and put it on the girls back. Quietly, he began to talk.

"She's just been fed apparently. She's still at that age where she needs to be burped sometimes. She's probably in a lot of pain at the moment if she's crying still." As if to prove his point, the baby gave a much louder sob, right be her father's ear. Severus grimaced lightly but continued to listen to James. "Pat her back firmly but gently to help her until she burps." Severus nodded absently and followed the instructions. The office was silent except for his hand coming gently in contact with the babes back. Finally, a loud burp escaped the tiny confines of the baby's chest. Severus blinked at the now softly giggling baby. It was silent again.

"Thank you." James looked up startled at the sincerity behind his enemies words before he smiled and nodded. He began talking, even softer this time, after a brief, comfortable - if not a tiny bit awkward - pause.

"She's probably tired, she's been awake this whole time and it's been a trying day. I don't think she's going to sleep without some encouragement, though." Snape looked away from the top of the baby's head where a thin dusting of wispy brown locks lay. He looked into the brown eyes of his enemy and blinked in confusion before comprehension dawned.

"I have a sleeping draught in my pocket. If you would-" James recovered and shook his head from the momentary, comedic confusion.

"No, Snape, you don't do that to a baby. Walk around, talk to her. It should get her drowsy enough to sleep." Snape nodded and began walking around with the still giggling mess in his arms. He hesitated for a long while, not quite sure what to say and not quite sure if he wanted to start babbling like a fool in front of his enemy. Though, as he looked back at the man watching him, he could admit that marriage and becoming a father had made the Gryffindor a little easier to deal with. Not a friend, certainly, but better than an enemy. He looked away and, with a sigh, began softly talking.

He introduced himself and told the girl of how he met her. He told her she was his daughter. He told her about Hogwarts and that she could learna lot about it from _Hogwarts: A History_. He told her that when she got older he would give her his copy to read. Then he told her he didn't know what he was going to do with her, if he was going to actually keep her or not. She had whimpered then, as if she actually understood what he was saying, but he dismissed the thought quickly. He told her he didn't know anything about children and he didn't even know what to call her. Finally, he ran out of things he was willing to say about himself in front of his old classmate, and began rattling off potions, their ingredients, and how to create the potions. It was around when he was finishing up the complex steps of the polyjuice potion - the girl had fallen asleep long ago - that he began to wonder where Albus had gone. And, as if on cue, he strode in happily, Poppy at his heels scowling, about to open her mouth to berate him on one thing or another. Then, the two caught sight of Severus, _the Severus Snape_, swaying across the office with a sleeping baby in his arms, quietly whispering in her ear and James Potter, his enemy, off to the side, smiling at the scene the father and daughter made. It was quiet before Albus softly spoke up.

"I take it you plan on keeping the girl?" Severus didn't answer, he continued swaying while whispering. His movements slowly brought him in a circle until he face the three others in the room. His eyes locked onto the blue ones of Albus and, after a moment, he nodded. Albus smiled happily.

"What are you going to name her?" James asked, softened by the image Snape made with a little girl sleeping in his arms. Snape shrugged uselessly. Albus's smile widened.

"Focus on that later, why don't you bring your daughter over here to be checked on. I think Poppy is skilled enough to do so without waking the dear." Severus nodded and slowly made his way over to the trio. Poppy began waving her wand, James excusing himself halfway through so that he could return to his own budding family. All was quiet in the office while the woman completed her diagnosis.

"She's just fine. A little under fed, but otherwise perfectly healthy. She's beautiful, darling." She smiled at the blush that rose on the young man's face at the endearment. She gushed silently to herself again as she looked over the baby before forcing herself to leave the room less she wake the sleeping baby with her squeals of delight at a baby being in the castle. The office was quiet once more as the men stared at the baby.

"Hermione." Albus looked up at the man. He stared in shock at the softness of his former students face as he gazed lovingly at his daughter that he had only just met.

"What is that, my boy?" Severus glanced up briefly before looking back down to the little girl he held protectively in his arms.

"Hermione Jean Snape will be her name." Albus smiled and nodded before dismissing the young man to the dungeons. He smiled as the dark man carefully made his way down the stairs.

-^.^-

**A/N: So, is it getting any better? I hope you all enjoyed!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR IT'S CHARACTERS.**


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